tion, and study that our souls may draw near to God, that our prayer may draw near to him, that our desire may cleave unto him, and we may never be separated from him? Even while we remain here, let us be fast knit to God, by meditating, by reading, by seeking; and endeavour to know him as we are able. For we know here but in part, because all things here are imperfect, there in their perfection. Here we are little children; there we shall be strong men. We see here, saith St. Paul, as in a glass, darkly; but there face to face. There with open face we shall behold the glory of God; which here our souls, being involved in flesh and blood, and sullied with their spots, cannot behold sincere. For who, saith he, can see my face and live? How should we, since our eyes cannot endure so much as the rays of the sun, which would put them out if we should fix them on so great a light? How can we behold, then, the shining countenance of our Creator, while we are wrapt up in the rags of this flesh?"

We must stay for so glorious a sight till that happy day when we shall be unclothed, or rather clothed upon with the garments of celestial light. That is the time, and not till then, when he designs to do us the great honour of setting the crown of righteousness upon our heads. Now is the time of toils (as he speaks in another place), of agonies, of combats, of conflicts, of strife for victory; then is the time of refreshments, of crowns, of retributions, of rewards, of resurrection, and of the restitution of all things: which ought to make all serious believers look for that day with earnest longings, and lift up their heads above this visible world, as men desirous to receive this glorious diadem ; in comparison with which the most goodly fillets that ever bound any imperial brow are not worthy so much as to be named.

O that glorious crown, purer than the finest gold! (is a pious heart inclined to say ;) that crown of righteousness and of life, which my Lord hath so dearly purchased for me with his precious blood! how do I covet it! how desirous am I, how do I long to be partaker of it! My head beats and aches, and cannot be at rest, till this crown, by his royal hand, be set upon it it is in pain till, instead of these clouds wherewith it is surrounded, it be encompassed in a circle of purer and brighter

thoughts: it is sorely oppressed till these vain dreams and frivolous imaginations, which gather about it, fly away, and it be enfolded in a wreath of nobler contemplations. O how heavy is it till this giddiness of mind wherein I am whirled be exchanged for a steady orb of light, wherein my soul, I hope, one day shall be unmovably centred !

I long to have these ashes blown away, wherein the sparks of divinity lie raked up in our eclipsed nature. O when will that sweet breath come that shall make them shine, and set them free to fly to their element above? When shall those flashes of light which sometime break forth be blown up into a clearer and more constant flame? Can one believe, and not wish to find himself in the house of God, in the midst of the heavenly ministers, surrounded with such glorious sights as eye never saw, nor heart can possibly conceive? I am not able to refrain from saying, O when shall I see my mind encircled in the rays of divine light? when shall it beam forth in such heavenly thoughts, and make my heart burn and sparkle with such ardours of love, that they shall cast a glory round about my head?

This is the crown which my soul desires to wear: this is the garland I would win, the glorious diadem wherewith my restless mind would be adorned. It is not silver and gold, pearls and precious stones, or any such like things (whose rich names I borrow to express my present thoughts), that I wish and desire; but the brightness of the knowledge of God to fold itself about my head, and that I may sit environed in a ring of admiring thoughts, of pure, undisturbed, never-ending thoughts of thee, and of thy marvellous kindness towards me.

Which happiness till my mind enjoy, the pain that I feel will not cease, unless thou, Lord, wilt be pleased to assuage it by comfortable hopes and joyful expectations of such an eternal weight of glory. Even when I have left this world, and am come to those lightsome tabernacles which thou hast prepared for those that truly love thee, I shall long to know more of thee, and desire still to be nearer to thee, and look to see thee come out of thy royal palace, to crown the faith and hope of thine obedient servants.

And in the mean time may I be so happy as to be disposed into the order of those who perpetually talk of thy love, and

sing thy praises, and rejoice with perfect confidence and full assurance, and are ever lifting up their heads to see thee, and often saying one to another, When will he come? when will he appear in the highest and most exalted glory? O blessed day, when, mixed with the quire of saints, we shall fly in their company to meet the Spouse, and say, every one of us, I have found him whom my soul loveth! I havefound him, the sight of whom I shall lose no more, but, endued with the glory of immortality and the splendour of incorruption, shall live for ever with the Lord!

O happy state of saints, when they shall have "flesh without earth, a body without sense of pain, a soul without fear, life without death, age without time, light without night, and blessedness without end!... Christianity will never let us be satiated with these delectable thoughts. This is its refreshment, this is its delight, this is its pleasure and joy; in mind and heart to go to the seat of God, and there to take its place, and seize on its share in that seat, not by its own presumption, but by the promise of God: who hath already exalted our Lord Christ in that blessed place; and, by our relation to him, we challenge a right to be so happy. For he is the Head of his body the church; he is the Head of all principality and power: from whom all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of Gody."z

CHAP. XV.

Three considerations more to draw our affections to the appearing of our Lord.

VIII.

I HAVE already said so much of the happiness we expect when our Lord shall come again, that here I might put an end to this discourse; if it would not be more profitable distinctly to consider, that after we are caught up from this earth to meet the Lord in the air, and he hath done us honour in the sight of all tho world, we shall all (as I have already suggested) march with him unto heaven, in goodly array and comely

z Ex L. de Viro perfecto, sub nom. S. Hieron. [tom. xi. col. 63 F.]

order, with those crowns of glory which he hath given us upon our heads. This should mightily move us to love his appearing; that we shall then appear together with him, and not abide in the air, though encompassed with so much glory, but be carried up with him far higher, into the purest sky.

When our minds are made all light, we shall see a vast way before us, and behold the palace where God himself dwells, inviting us unto it. Thither our Lord will have us attend upon him and accompany him, when he hath finished the judgment of the great day: where the holy books inform us we shall be sumptuously treated, with no less kindness, magnificence, and joy, than a king, we may conceive, would entertain his only son, when he brought home his beloved bride, whom he had long ago espoused to himself; for whose reception he prepares the most royal supper, a glorious marriage-feast, to welcome her unto his house.

And will not this make every faithful soul who is a holy member of that body the church, whom our Lord is pleased to own for his bride, still more desirous, if not impatient, of the coming of the celestial Bridegroom, to perfect his love, and complete the promises wherein he stands engaged by the gracious covenant he made with us when he contracted us to himself? What is there that we all so much covet as the excess of joy and the highest pitch of pleasure? and where are these to be found in so much purity, in such fulness, and so perpetual, as in his most blessed presence? Which should force us to burst out with the greatest earnestness, when we think of that heavenly feast which he hath prepared for us, into such expressions as those of David:

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, even the living God; O when shall I come and appear before God? I have small satisfaction, alas! in these dull and short delights, which I find on earth. What taste is there in this green trash? And there is little other fruit that grows in the garden of this world but what is sour and harsh, and sets my teeth on edge. It is too far from thy beams to bring forth any thing very sweet. Nothing can be ripened at this distance from thee, to satisfy a soul and yield it all the contentment it desires.

a [Ps. xlii. 1, 2.]

Bring me therefore into thy paradise above. O conduct me into thy Eden, the garden of thy delights. Lead me to those fruits which are brought to maturity by the constant presence of the Sun of righteousness. Let me feast on those pleasures which are all pleasure: and enter into the joy which is fulness of joy for evermore.

And till thou thinkest me meet for such entertainments, may it please thy love but to give me some tastes of their incomparable sweetness. May I relish no joys so much as those. May I always have the remembrance of them fresh upon my soul. And may I be so happy as to be preserved, by the savour of them, from the sinful allurements of all other plea

sures.

Hence, hence, all you beggarly delights, which would have me forget my happiness. Stand aside, you images of true joy, and hinder not my prospect of that heavenly paradise. Lend me your help, or else get you gone, and trouble me no more. Assist my benighted thoughts, and represent that blissful place to them; or else I desire not your company. I have eaten of all your dainties; but still am empty and void of satisfaction. I know what you have to say, the very utmost you can offer me; therefore follow me with no further importunities for my heart is set on that fair, that delicious place, where the great Lord keeps his court, and entertains his friends with endless pleasures.

O holy city of God, what glorious things are spoken of thee! How free, how sprightly, and how full of joy, are all thy happy inhabitants! What heart is there that is so dull as not to long to dwell in that blessed place, where every head wears a crown of life, and every hand carries a palm of victory? where every eye overflows with joy, and every tongue with psalms of praise? where light shines in every face, and love smiles in every countenance? where every heart is perfectly satisfied in the fulness of its own bliss, and satisfied again with the pleasure it hath to see the felicity of others?

It is too much trouble to me that I am not there; O let me not lose the thought of it too. I sigh to think that I stand at such a distance from my Father's house; and shall I suffer a further remove, by turning away my eyes from thence? Go, O my soul, go thither in thy thoughts and daily meditations.